There are new Age Of Empires Online details on Gamasutra where they explain the business model of the upcoming MMORTS game, supplementing the info in the Age of Empires Online FAQ. The game will be free-to-play, and will feature persistent civilizations that can be cultivated over time. Players will also be able to purchase Premium Civilization upgrades to unlock all of a civilization's abilities at once, including special "star techs" abilities on its tech tree. The game will also offer sales of cosmetic vanity items and microtransaction "booster" packs, offering new quests or gameplay types. Prices for these microtransactions and premium upgrades have not been revealed yet.